Workshops & Facilitators

How can we embed lived experience in our organisational practice? What does it mean to meaningfully engage those with 'lived experience' in our decision-making? This workshop will explore our understanding and assumptions around 'lived experience', and how we can move beyond representation towards dismantling systems of oppression within our work.

Workshop: Beyond Lived Experience

  • Martha runs JMB Consulting, which specialises in anti-racist practice in the third sector. Whether that is helping Black led grassroots organisation to navigate the funding landscape, working with leaders to confront their relationship to white supremacy, or embedding anti-racism into organisational strategies and cultures, their approach is always bold, creative, and most importantly, joyful. Most people know Martha as the curator of Uncharitable (formerly #BAMEOnline), a home for political education in the third sector. Uncharitable commission writers, artists, host events and a yearly conference exploring oppression in the third sector and our pathway to liberation.

  • Aderonke Apata | Akeela Ahmed | Alphonsine Kabagabo | Amanda Gamage | Amira Elwakil | André Dallas | Andy Sirel | Bettina Patel | Bridget Young | Carolina Albuerne Rodriguez | Carolina Caicedo | Claire Stern | Duncan McAuley | Elisha Shamba | Fidelis Chebe | Flutra Shega | Jake Lee | James Wilson | James Skinner | Jenni Regan | Jo Hiley | Karen Torres | Katherine Cornett | Laila Aziz | Lorie Ann Halliday | Lucy Mort | Lydia Martin | Marchu Belete | Maria Iglesias | Miranda Reilly | Noelle Gilbert | Nick Pilkington | Rebecca Green | Robin Walden | Sophie Ahmad

  • Aké Achi | Aliya Yule | Amanda Shah | Andreea Dumitrache | Franck Banza | Gina Kass | Hussein Said | Isabel Gunputhram | Kat Lorenz | Leticia Ishibashi | Marina Davidson | Marissa Begonia | Maritza Castillo Calle | Mary Atkinson | Michael Boyle | Mohammed Afridi | Naeema Ahmed | Naomi Jackson | Nathan Evans | Pam Gill | Paulina Lewkowicz | Richard Wilson | Roopa Tanna | Rumina Miah | Sachin Sachdeva | Sara Alsherif | Sefki Bayram | Shelley Dorrans | Sydney Shea | Tom Green | Zaynab Shah

Workshop: The First 100 Days — Building Your Strategy to Win

Join us for a practical workshop where we help you to plan your advocacy and campaigning strategy for the next Government. With polls consistently pointing towards a potential victory for the Labour Party at the forthcoming UK General Election, it's important to consider how you will use your networks and resources in this new political context to break new ground and win on the issues you care about.

In this session, we will explore the implications of a change in Government and gain a deeper understanding of both the opportunities and challenges we face. This workshop will help you to reflect on differing viewpoints, identify common policy objectives, and learn the importance of embracing multiple and complementary campaigning styles. Our goal is for you to come away with a strong sense of how to build your strategy to win, in collaboration with the other organisations attending the workshop.

  • Reem Berrada is public affairs and policy professional within The Advocacy Team. Her responsibilities include qualitative and quantitative research, organising parliamentary trips, high profile events, report writing and developing advocacy strategies. Notable clients include the NGO Forest Coalition, Coalition for Global Prosperity, UNICEF UK, ThinkFilm, BOND, Embrace Lebanon, ONE Campaign, Global Witness and Bloody Good Period. She has facilitated parliamentary trips to Ethiopia and Lebanon and currently plays a key role in supporting the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Deforestation. Prior to her current role, Reem gained experience at the London Stock Exchange, promoting green finance initiatives. She holds an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London and has a keen interest in Middle East North African affairs and Climate.

  • Nasim started her career at the ONE Campaign and has over seven years experience in development finance. She led the analysis of the Real Aid Index at the ONE Campaign and has led on work analysing global ODA trends and forecasting ODA budgets for the UK. Nasim has worked on advocacy campaigns to increase financing to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Partnership for Education. She has previously interviewed the Deputy Mayor of London, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard to an audience of over 100 people at Black Girl Festival. She holds an MA in International Development and Human Security from Nottingham Trent University.

  • Neha D'Souza is a Campaigns Director at Small Axe, a not-for-profit with one goal: to create movements that are progressive, hopeful and powerful, to inspire people to act on the most pressing issues of our time. She has worked on a range of elections and issues, from advocating for dignity for refugees in the UK, to helping to secure an end to the offshore detention of refugee children and their families in Australia.

  • Anna Pincus | Bella Kosmala | Caroline Coombs | Eiri Ohtani | Eleanor Kennedy | Jenny Rayner | Jeremy Crook | Joon-Lynn Goh | Kat Lorenz | Lisa Lee | Michal Chantkowski | Madeleine Sumption | Marina Davidson | Marissa Begonia | Maritza Castillo Calle | Mariam Bafo | Mary Atkinson | Mohammed Afridi | Naeema Ahmed | Nathan Evans | Olivia Vicol | Paulina Tamborrel Signoret | Richard Wilson | Sabrina Huck | Sara Alsherif | Sarah Munday | Sharon Anthony-Tewkesbury | Sian Summers-Rees | Sefki Bayram | Tariq Bashir | Úna Boyd | Zaynab Shah

  • Aderonke Apata | Alba Kapoor | Andy Sirel | Anki Deo | Bridget Young | Carolina Albuerne Rodriguez | Christopher Desira | Christopher Fray | Claire Stern | Emily Miller | Esther McConnell | Fidelis Chebe | Hazel Williams | Jake Lee | Jo Hiley | Karen Torres | Katherine Cornett | Laila Aziz | Leila Zadeh | Lorie Ann Halliday | Lucy Mort | Lydia Martin | Magda Fabianczyk | Marchu Belete | Maria Iglesias | Miranda Reilly | Michael Boyle | Nazek Ramadan | Noelle Gilbert | Nick Pilkington | Rebecca Green | Robin Walden | Shuet-Kei Cheung

Workshop: Building bold & Powerful Narratives For Migrant Justice

Communicating migrant justice is often fraught with tension. Our stories and experiences are distorted, extracted, and misrepresented to prop up the hostile environment – meaning our communities face more and more violence and harm. This session will focus on how we can build robust, collaborative narratives and comms practices to support migrant justice and collective liberation.

  • Dr. Rebekah Delsol (she/her) is the Executive Co Director (Strategy) for Healing Justice London. An experienced leader, programme manager, researcher and coach, with a passion for driving social change and supporting transformation. Her expertise is grounded in over twenty years of experience in challenging discrimination through research, philanthropy, campaigning/advocacy, strategic litigation, collaboration and centring marginalised voices. Rebekah previously worked for the Open Society Justice Initiative, as a senior programme manager, working on racial justice issues. Rebekah managed the Open Society Justice Initiatives’ Fair and Effective Policing (FEP) project, focused on building community and civil society capacity to challenge racial profiling, research and strategic litigation and changing structures and cultures in police institutions globally. In 2019, Rebekah developed the project, Hardwiring Discrimination: Data, Tech and Policing, bringing together technologists, researchers, advocates and community groups to develop research, litigation and advocacy to challenge the expansion of the discriminatory use of data and technology in policing. Rebekah also provided strategic leadership on the Inclusion, Equity and Well-being (IEW) initiative for the Justice Initiative. Rebekah is founding member and trustee of the charity StopWatch (www.stop-watch.org), a coalition that uses research and action to promote fair and accountable policing. Rebekah is a Member of Council for the Institute of Race Relations. Rebekah holds a PhD from the University of Warwick based on a comparative study exploring institutional racism in stop and search practices in the UK and US. She has written and presented widely on stop and search, racism, equality and policing and recently co-wrote Challenging Ethnic Profiling in Europe: A Guide for Campaigners and Organizers (OSF, 2021), The Recording of Police Stops: Methods and Issues (OSF, 2020), The Colour of Injustice: ‘Race,’ Drugs and Law Enforcement in England and Wales (StopWatch, 2018) and Stop and Search: The Anatomy of a Police Power (Palgrave, 2015). Rebekah is a qualified leadership coach, working with individuals, boards and teams from corporate, third sector organisations and movement leaders focusing on leadership, governance and organisational dynamics. She is passionate about using coaching to support growth, change and connection to accelerate social impact.

  • Sarah Joynt-Bowe is a communications and narrative change strategist with over 15 years of experience developing dynamic, effective strategies for organisers and movement-aligned organisations around the world. Over the course of her career, she has worked across strategic functions from in-house communications to consulting and creative agency planning. She has proven skills in campaign development, brand strategy, qualitative research, and workshop facilitation with an emphasis on building radical narrative power. Sarah is currently Director of Communications Strategy at Healing Justice Ldn leading their work on narrative change and transformative communications.

  • Aké Achi | Alice Sachrajda | Alison Kelly | Amanda Shah | Andreea Dumitrache | Andrew Curtis | Anki Deo | Audrey Guichon | Baljit Banga | Christopher Fray | Dalia Abu Yassien | Dorothee Richter | Francesca Humi | Franck Banza | Innah Gaspar | Isabel Gunputhram | Julia Tinsley-Kent | Lara Parizotto | Leticia Ishibashi | Magda Fabianczyk | Naomi Jackson | Nazek Ramadan | Pam Gill | Reyah Stephen | Selena Green | Shelley Dorrans | Solange de Carvalho | Tom Green

  • Akeela Ahmed | Alphonsine Kabagabo | Amira Elwakil | Anna Pincus | Anne Campbell | Bella Kosmala | Bettina Patel | Caroline Coombs | Duncan McAuley | Eiri Ohtani | Eleanor Kennedy | Elisha Shamba | Holly Donagh | James Skinner | James Wilson | Jenny Rayner | Jeremy Crook | Joon-Lynn Goh | Kaiisha Kukendra | Laura Barker | Lisa Lee | Madeleine Sumption | Mariam Bafo | Olivia Gable | Paulina Lewkowicz | Paulina Tamborrel Signoret | Sabrina Huck | Sara Hill | Shreya Gautam | Sian Summers-Rees | Sophie Ahmad | Tariq Bashir | Úna Boyd

Workshop: Imagining Ourselves into the Future

What would the world look like without borders? How do we write our stories into the future? This zine-workshop explores how ideas can grow through creative expression when the process is centred over perfection. Participants mix and match text, drawing and collage to create collaborative zines on radical imagination and solidarity across their professional, political and personal contexts.

  • Jade Chao and Bella Normark are part of daikon* — a creative collective for and by Southeast and East Asian people in the diaspora. daikon* started as a zine, published with the intention to build community, create space for underrepresented voices, and critically examine and respond to structural inequality. Through workshops and collaborations with migrant communities and activist groups, we have continued using print- and zine-making as methods for creatively exploring our experiences and political visions. Bella is a creative facilitator and communications wizard. They are also a gardener and builder in-learning, dreaming of community autonomy through relationship with the earth. Jade is a local historian and journalist. Her work employs walking around, listening and looking out for one’s neighbours as abolitionist methods.

  • Alba Kapoor | Alice Sachrajda | Aliya Yule | Anne Campbell | Christopher Desira | Emily Miller | Esther McConnell | Gina Kass | Hazel Williams | Holly Donagh | Hussein Said | Kaiisha Kukendra | Laura Barker | Leila Zadeh | Olivia Gable | Roopa Tanna | Rumina Miah | Sachin Sachdeva | Sara Hill | Shreya Gautam | Shuet-Kei Cheung | Sydney Shea

  • Alison Kelly | Amanda Gamage | André Dallas | Andrew Curtis | Audrey Guichon | Baljit Banga | Carolina Caicedo | Dalia Abu Yassien | Dorothee Richter | Flutra Shega | Francesca Humi | Innah Gaspar | Jenni Regan | Julia Tinsley-Kent | Lara Parizotto | Michal Chantkowski | Olivia Vicol | Reyah Stephen | Sarah Munday | Selena Green | Sharon Anthony-Tewkesbury | Solange de Carvalho

Sound Healing

Join us for a sound healing session to support your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing. With deep reverence for the collective wisdom we embody, OYA Retreats seek to co-create spaces in which they share practices steeped in diverse cultural and wisdom traditions that empower each of us to build, maintain and nurture a healthy, resilient and joyous lifestyle.

  • Yoga Teacher, Focalising Practitioner & Embodied Mystic: I became active in my own healing and empowerment journey in 2002, before starting to teach Yoga in 2015. My journey includes Ashtanga, Yin, Restorative, non-dual Tantra, Somatics, Indigenous African Spirituality and Celtic Earth-Centred practice. I centre the healing of ethnic / race-based and patriarchal trauma, exploring and seeking to unravel how these impressions manifest in our bodies and minds, to access our true nature, joy and magic. My offerings are person-centred, trauma-informed, naturealigned curious explorations of our Aliveness. My intention is to support curious seekers courageously re-member the wisdom within their bodies and hearts, to explore a more connected, creative and authentic life.

  • Fatuma is a qualified and experienced sound therapist, cacao facilitator and yoga teacher with a focus on creating experiences that generate balance in the body, mind, and soul. She creates sanctuaries and immersions that deliver a multi-sensory experience by combining both yin and yang practices such as sound healing, yoga, meditation, breathwork and ecstatic dancing to tap into your own innate ability to heal and generate harmony in the nervous system. Fatuma is also a trained and experienced transformational coach and mentor.

Visual Notetakers

  • Tamara-Jade is an artist and educator based in East London. Tamara-Jade’s art practice explores themes of marginalised identity, leftist politics and communication, primarily through illustration. She has nine years of experience as a trainer and facilitator for social change groups. She specialises in developing bespoke programmes and workshops that challenge groups to reflect on strategy, structural power, group culture and relationships. Tamara-Jade’s background includes working in and organising around gendered violence prevention from a Black feminist perspective; an abolitionist analysis of these issues is particularly important to her. She combines her passion for facilitation and visual art through her practice as a visual notetaker, where she seeks to document important movement dialogues in an engaging visual format.

  • Illustrator, designer and visual communicator, Lizzies Lines specialises in supporting impact-driven projects to convert complex and abstract information into creative, accessible resources that have the power to last a lifetime, rather than a click. Lizzie works with values-led clients who want to work with their audiences to co-produce educational and inspirational resources that engage and empower us to make a difference in our own lives, communities, socio-political systems and the planet. Clients include: NHS, Barbican, Culture Mile, Black Thrive Global, Age UK, Renewco Power, Libraries Unlimited, PBS, Peer Power Youth Charity, Gender Smart, University of the Arts London, Westfields and more.